No one can predict what the next four years will bring under newly-elected Republican President Donald Trump.
But in New Mexico, members of the state’s all-Democratic congressional delegation are preparing for a rough ride.
The state, which voted for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s high-stakes presidential race, relies heavily on federal funding, and Trump has called for cuts to federal agencies.
Democrats have other concerns, including Trump’s plans for mass deportations, which officials say would tear families apart and deal a blow to businesses already struggling to find workers in the state.
His victory has other implications, at least for some high-profile New Mexico Democrats: Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is preparing for a Trump transition, and Xochitl Torres Small, a former U.S. representative appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as to serve as deputy secretary. of agriculture.
Many also believed Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham would be considered for a Cabinet post after conducting a nationwide search for Harris and being vetted as a possible running mate by Harris, who officiated the governor’s wedding.
“Of course it is flattering to be mentioned as an opportunity for important jobs, but I am deeply grateful that New Mexicans trust me to continue doing the important work of the state,” the governor said in a statement.
Lujan Grisham said she has “serious concerns” about another Trump presidency.
“There are many policies that New Mexico stands for that it opposes, ranging from Medicaid expansion to reproductive freedoms to the development of a high-tech, renewable energy economy and more,” she said.
The governor said her administration is preparing for a wide range of scenarios and “will not hesitate to fight” for New Mexicans when the federal government’s proposals are bad for the state.
“As we deal with this latest disaster caused by massive snowfall in New Mexico, I am concerned about Trump’s support for fully funding (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and deploying it to states in need of relief, including ours ” said Lujan Grisham.
‘Extreme plans’ of Project 2025
One of Democrats’ biggest concerns is Project 2025, a blueprint for a conservative presidency that calls for an overhaul of the federal government. According to Democrats, the controversial plan could have far-reaching negative consequences for the state.
During his campaign, Trump distanced himself from Project 2025. During his visit to New Mexico on October 31, he denied ever having read it.
But the Democrats don’t believe him.
“I will not sugarcoat it,” U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, New Mexico’s senior senator, said in a statement.
“The return of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House poses incredible challenges for New Mexico and we must take these threats seriously,” he said. “Trump and his allies have advanced extreme plans that could destroy New Mexicans’ livelihoods, dismantle hard-won progress and roll back fundamental rights and freedoms, putting our families, communities and future at risk.”
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury echoed this sentiment, saying Project 2025 offers a taste of what a second term will look like, including the dismantling of federal agencies and a retaliatory tour against Trump’s political opponents.
“The authors and architects of Project 2025 have openly bragged in recent days that this is essentially the transition plan for the Trump presidency that we knew all along,” she said in an interview. “So if you need details about what Donald Trump is up to, it’s all in the 922 pages of Project 2025.”
The plans include cutting federal jobs, which Stansbury said will have far-reaching consequences for New Mexico because the federal government is one of the state’s largest employers.
“We’re all bracing ourselves,” Stansbury said.
“The House Democratic caucus is still waiting for the election results of approximately 40 House races before we know if we are in the majority,” she said. “But we are all praying (the Democrats will control the House of Representatives) because without a majority in the House there will be no backstop against the presidency, and that includes Donald Trump in the White House, Republican control of the Senate and a leadership shift toward equality, even away from (Senate Minority Leader) Mitch McConnell.”
Stansbury noted that House Speaker Mike Johnson is a Trump ally.
“And it’s clear,” she added, “Trump has stacked the jobs… so I think we’re in for a very rough ride.”
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández said the fallout from the presidential election is “particularly disastrous” for New Mexico. For example, she said, Democrats successfully fought in Congress against a Farm Bill that would cut $30 billion from nutrition programs, including the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
“With a Trump presidency, they’re going to cut that funding,” she said. “We’re talking about so many children and mothers and veterans and the elderly who could go hungry as a result of a Trump victory.”
Leger Fernández rattled off a long list of other possible cuts, including funding for Medicaid and Title 1 schools that serve families in high poverty, as well as efforts to undo the Inflation Reduction Act and repeal the Affordable Care Act.
“I could go on and on about the very specific negative impacts on New Mexico because they are across the board,” Leger Fernández said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez did not return messages seeking comment.
Ready for battle – and cooperation
Stansbury said House Democrats are preparing for the battle ahead and remain committed “to defending our fundamental rights and freedoms.”
Senator Ben Ray Luján said Trump divided the nation during his first term “while advancing efforts that hurt working Americans and undermined the rule of law” and that he prayed the next four years would be different for the good of the country.
“We will continue to work to deliver results for New Mexico, regardless of who is in power in Congress and the White House,” he said in a statement after Tuesday’s election.
His communications director, Adán Serna, offered more platitudes when asked what the state’s congressional delegation could realistically accomplish if Trump is in the White House and Republicans win control of the U.S. Senate.
“Senator Luján has consistently and successfully sought bipartisan relationships to get his legislation passed, and he will continue to do so while defending New Mexico’s values and priorities,” Serna wrote in an email.
Serna urged a more substantive response — especially since New Mexico relies heavily on federal funding and Project 2025 calls for cuts to all non-nuclear weapons-related work at national labs, including Los Alamos and Sandia — and said the control of Congress is still in hand. the air.
“We must allow these votes to be counted to get a clear picture of what the next Congress will look like,” he wrote.
Serna also said Luján’s experience will prove beneficial for New Mexico.
“The Senator is well aware of the importance of the National Labs – his father worked at LANL… and Senator Luján has provided billions of dollars to the Labs. In doing so, he often works in a dual manner,” he wrote. “He founded the National Labs Caucus, which again is bipartisan. He’s been working on this for over a decade.”
Stansbury agreed that New Mexico’s congressional delegation’s reputation for working across the aisle will serve the state well.
“We are all very practical people and we understand the assignment,” she said. “We understand that our role and responsibility is to serve our state, and all five of us work across the aisle to get things done, despite the political rhetoric.”
Helen Gaussoin, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, said it is “highly speculative to discuss any impact” on state government under Trump’s presidency.
“Not everything Trump mentioned during his campaign will or can happen. That said, we don’t see any major shifts in the oil and gas industry because of Trump,” she wrote in an email. “There are other things that could happen that could impact the market, including indirect impacts from any actions Trump takes on the international stage, but we don’t expect Trump to do anything domestically that would impact the New Mexico market and much of would hinder or expand regulation. happens at the state level.”
Gaussoin warned that mass deportations, a mainstay of Trump’s campaign, would be a blow to companies already unable to fill jobs.
“The tariffs could be inflationary depending on what they look like, potentially having a greater impact on the cost of household goods and the middle class,” she wrote.
“We will also closely monitor allocations of federal funds to the state,” Gaussoin added. “If they are scaled back, the Legislature will have to decide whether to supplement services with state funds or limit services.”
Heinrich also expressed concerns about Trump’s view of higher tariffs that could drive up prices for everyday goods.
“Social Security and Medicare – lifelines for our seniors – are on the chopping block,” he said, adding that “the historic progress we made through the Inflation Reduction Act is at risk, as are the thousands of good-paying jobs that came with it.” are. the clean energy sector.”
Heinrich said a national abortion ban threatens women’s rights to make decisions about their own bodies, and that rolling back protections under the Affordable Care Act, which has given thousands of New Mexicans access to affordable care, would risk most vulnerable communities in the state are losing their lives. access to necessary treatments, preventative care and life-saving prescriptions.
“Taken together, these measures threaten to dismantle the progress we have fought so hard for, endangering not only the well-being of our state, but also the safety and dignity of every new Mexican,” he said. “We cannot afford to lose ground on these issues, and New Mexicans must know that our delegation is united in opposing these threats, and that we will do everything in our power to advance the interests of the hardworking people in our state.”
Lujan Grisham said her administration will remain vigilant in the face of threats to New Mexico.
“I am willing to work with Trump on initiatives that are good for New Mexico and the nation. I did that from time to time during his first administration, and I will do so again when it is appropriate,” she said. “My hope is that there are more areas of cooperation than conflict. Only time will tell.”